Commentary Upon Malachi, Preface
¶ To the faythfull brethren whych by worde and woorke are prompt and ready to declare them ſelues vnfayned folowers of the truth reuealed. Anthonye Gylbye wyſheth peace and ſtrength from the Lorde.
I Did write of late a rude Comentarye vppon the godlye Prophet Micha (dearely beloued) wherwyth many worldlings (as I am enfourmed) are very mutche greued & ſore offended, becauſe that Prophet dothe freate and chayffe the old ſores of their cankered cō ſciences and holow harts: Eſpecyally certeyne Charmers & Enchaūters, whych would be named wiſemen and Aſtronomers, hauehave ſo farre vttered theyr malice, and ſpyt foorth theyr poyſon, that they are not content to rayle agaynſte me (whych were a right ſmal matter in mine owne cauſe and buſines) but they dare lyfte vp theymſelues (blinde buſſardes, not able to ſee theyr owne ſnares) againſt God his ſacrate maieſty, agaynſt hys gloryous truthe reuealed to hys ſayntes, againſt hys holy ſpirite, foreſeing al thynges, gouernyng all thynges, yea reuealyng all thynges longe before they doe come to paſſe, alwayes to ſome of hys choſen, bothe the ſaluacion of the good, and the perdicion and deſtruccion of the wycked reprobate, the Charmers Chyldren as Eſay calleth them. Emōges thys nomber euen of the learned ſort, ſuch as the Diuel hath ſtyrred by the name of Goſpellers and the vayne tytle of learning, to ſhame the Goſpell and good learnynge (for there is no good learnyng againſt thy Lord god be thou ſure) ſuche I ſay as hauehave the ſhewe of knowledge and relygion, but fele not the power therof, hath bene ſo ſhame leſſe, that they durſt compare the falſe heade of deuylyſhe lyes to the infallible truth of god hys holy prophetes, the writyngs of theyr wiſerds, to the holy ſcriptures of the euerlyuyng and euer ſeynge God: Comparynge vyle chaffe vntounto pure wheate, as Hieremi ſpeaketh. Hiere. xxiii. Theyr marlynes, theyr nolhardes, theyr walſh Dauids and Daruel Gadders (whome they wyth lyke foreheades dare pronounce to be bygotten, borne, brought foorth, inſtructed and taughte, by the wycked ſpirit) the dyuel in playn englyſhe, dare they conferre and prefer to the chyldren of God, begotten and borne a newe, neyther of fleſhe nor bloude nor any carnall or internall operation: But by a celeſtial heauenly & diuyne byrth, regenerate and newe begottē by the good ſpirite of God. Whome we muſt needes confeſſe moſte able to ſearch and teache, not only the ſecretes of mans harte, but the depth of God his great iudgementes. Of theſe beware (deare brethren) the dayes are euyl.
And no maruaile though ye wicked deuil do roare, rage and raill, now eſpecially in this time, when his artes, maſkes, and ſubtile deuyſes, begynne by God hys holye woord to be vttered, diſcouered & defaced. For he alway ſtriueth for hys kingdom of darknes againſt the chyldren of lyght, the true prophetes of God euer ſynce the begynnynge, and hath euermore in his members chalenged a knowledge & wyſdome aboue the wyſdome of God, as appeared in the Sorcerers of Egipte reſyſtynge Moſes, in zedechia and ſuch lyke chyldren of the deuyll, reſyſtynge Michea and ye true prophetes, eſpecially when thys olde ſerpēt in hys owne parſon tēpted our maſter Chriſt, caryeng him frō place to place, byddyng hym fal downe and worſhyp, and he would gyue hym al the kingdōs of the worlde and al theyr glorye. How be it the deuil in al theſe, doth beſtirre him in vayne, and fayleth of hys purpoſe. Yea, our Lorde and myghty God dothe alwayes at hys appointed tyme and good pleaſure, ſtoppe and ſtay this raging deuil, and cauſeth hys artes to faile his craftes to be vncouered, the wyſdome of hys wyſerdes to appeare foolyſheneſſe, and maketh hys oracles falſe, hys aunſweres he vttereth to be moſt vayne and deceyuable, as we reade in the fall of Creſus and other heathen Idolaters demēted with lyke madnes. And to our ſinguler comfort whych be Chriſtians, in the byrth of our ſauiour Chriſte, he compelled al the idoles whych afore time by the deuils ſubtiltie dyd delude ſymple people to be dombe and vnable to giuegive any anſwer to their worſhyppers, and at the ſendyng forthe of Chriſtes Apoſtles, al the Charmers, Sorcerers and Enchaūters, were made dombe and ſpeechleſſe. So ſtrongly dyd our lord by thys hys myghty captayn, bynde in chaynes, and keepe captyue this armed Giant, and ſpoill hys houſe and temple. Now therfore howſoeuer the deuyll or the wycked world ſhall take it, after ye burthen of the prophet Micha, I do brynge another burthen greeuous and heauye agaynſt al wytches, Charmers and Enchaunters, and againſt al wedlock breakers, fornicators and adulterers, againſt al periured & vaine ſwearers, agaynſt all extorcioners, oppreſſours and brybers, finallye agaynſt al that feare not the Lord, all and ſynguler wycked worldelynges. I do brynge a burthen I ſay; from whēce neyther learned nor vnlearned, neyther prieſt nor people ſhall plucke foorthe theyr neckes. The burthē I do meane, of the waighty word of the great God brought down vntounto men, by no blynde nolhardes, or wycked Marlines, but by ye angel of god, by the meſſenger of the hye king, and Lorde of the whole earthe, whych vttereth the terryble tyme of Iuſtice & vengeaunce agaynſt all the proude people and wycked doers. How be it vntounto you (deare brethren) that do feare the Lord, I do brynge thys glad tydynges, that the ſunne of ryghteouſneſſe vntounto you ſhal aryſe, and ſaluaciō ſhalbe vnderunder hys beames. Walk in hys lyght therfore whyles you hauehave lyghte, for for youre ſakes theſe euil daies ſhalbe ſhortened.
And though the proude do rage and raill againſt my former treatiſe, becauſe my rude ſimplicitie voyde of eloquence, my playne kynd of wrytyng, taſtyng of my plough gadde, lame in learnyng, long banyſhed from the ſcholes, farre from the Logician ſubtyltye, Rethorycall aſſentacion, or courtelye flatterye, hath ſkraped tendre and daynetye eares wyth ſharpe bytynge treuthe, and cauſed them to kycke, yet becauſe the poore ſymple ſoules, whych cannot attayne to the hyghe wrytynges of learned clarckes, hath confeſſed theym ſelues ſome thynge to hauehave learned thereby, bothe to fear God his ſacrate maieſty, and to walke more warely in their vocations and callynges: It hathe encouraged me agayne to offer my ſelfe a laughynge ſtocke to the wycked worldelynges, a ſpittynge ſtocke to the ſpytefull Papyſtes, and to a rable of ſuche, as ſhalbe pynched wyth the wayghtye burthen and heauye yoke of God hys greate vengeaunce.
The whyche moſte woorthelye ſhalbe layed vppon theyr neckes in the declaratyon of thys Prophecye. Wherefore I beſeeche thee O heauenlye Father, the father of Spyrytes, ſo to lyghten my hart with thy holye ſpirit, that I maye hauehave the true vnderſtandynge of the ſecrete myſteryes of the ſpirit hydde in thys Prophet. Graunte alſo ſuche larges of thy ſpirite that I maye to the profite of my poore brethren, dyſpoſe thys thy heauenlye treaſure and boldly and conſtātly ſet forthe thy truthe to the glory of thy moſt holy name. So be it.